Questioning Humanity
by AngelEyes87
Summary: In the midst of Jin's war against the rest of the world, everyone seems to be suffering. Both Steve and Xiaoyu voices their concerns to one another about the world around them, seeking guidance and comfort. Oneshot. Please R&R!


**A/N: **It's been quite a while since I've wrote anything to do with Tekken. I think I have to start writing more for this fandom other than Death Note and Soul Calibur of course. So, this oneshot was inspired deeply by a conversation that I had with my mum the other day. I was watching the news report on the current conflict that is going on in Cairo, Egypt and I was thinking how pointless fighting is when it only causes despair and death. I started asking mum some questions and one of them included why does war exist in the world today. This sparked an idea for this oneshot. This is set in the Tekken 6 time-line in which Jin turns the world literally on its head. I hope you enjoy this :)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own neither of the Tekken characters mentioned here as they rightfully belong to Namco.

**Questioning Humanity**

**By AngelEyes87**

It was very plain to see that this global catastrophe was taking a massive toll on the world as a whole.

Ever since Jin Kazama was proclaimed as the winner of the King of the Iron Fist Tournament 5, tremendous waves of panic spread like ferocious wildfire amongst society. Curious citizens watched from the sidelines, keeping a close but weary eye on the twenty one year old man who raised himself from the proverbial ashes. None of them fully knew what Jin was capable of, so therefore they feared the unknown. Did his plans and visions for the world will surely benefit others or serve as a detrimental effect? Silent prayers were whispered from wordless, quivering mouths as they hoped to God that Jin was a far more noble man than Heihachi despite their shared lineage.

On the other hand, greedy news reporters, starved for action and juicy details, eagerly congregated outside the Mishima Finance Company building. Those who were associated with the media were caught up with the sheer excitement of being a part of Jin's first ever international broadcast. Just the mere thought of covering the exclusive interview was deemed as a great honour – not to mention increasing their wages as well as the programme airing rates. They were acting almost as if they didn't care about other people rather than themselves. As soon as the paparazzi smelt a fantastic story within a five mile radius, nothing will stand in their way to retrieve information through means of deception and manipulation. They were nothing but mindless zombies, the epitome of corruption and filth.

Dressed in a flurry of midnight black clothes, Jin Kazama gracefully sauntered onto the podium. His strong, arrogant presence forced everyone to be quiet at that specific moment, aware that he was quite a force to be reckoned with for all the right reasons. Alongside him was none other than two of his most trusted personal bodyguards – the beautiful but deadly Nina Williams, and the unusually sombre Eddy Gordo. Both the Irish and the Brazilian were dressed in similar attire to their boss with the Tekken Force insignia gleaming proudly on the breast of their jacket. The only exception was the tinted black sunglasses shielding their eyes from the outside world, keeping sinister secrets locked away.

Mildly amused with the admiring glances from the foolish onlookers, Jin couldn't help but to smirk smugly to himself. The Devil entity within leapt with sadistic joy at being the centre of attention, gleefully laughing at how wonderful his plans were unfurling. Yes, everything was going according to plan. Every step along the way were carefully placed, not affording to be clumsy or foolish otherwise it will lead to ultimate failure. Once he was confident in his footing, he continued to stealthily move forward while hiding in the safety of the mysterious shadows. Relentless in his mission, Jin's Devil put his intricate plans into action in order to gain delicious control of his worthless mortal host.

In the aftermath of Jin's defeat over his great grandfather, Jinpachi Mishima, Jin had suddenly become more disturbed than ever. There was no outwardly sign of decay in regards to his muscular physique, however the same cannot be said for his mind. The Japanese's mentality was rapidly deteriorating in response to the nightmarish visions and dreams that were illuminated in the depths of his slumber. Of course they were all thanks to his inner demon. Within a short period of time Jin succumbed to the evil within, helplessly allowing himself to be the instrument in taking over the world. Needless to say, it was a losing battle from the beginning. Free will had escaped Jin's grasp until he was forced under a violent ocean of domination and oppression.

Jin, the fallen warrior, was fulfilling his role of a puppet. And there was nothing that he can to prevent his cruel fate from happening.

Soon enough at the news conference, Jin was thrown into a barrage of endless questions. Every word that was spoken from one reporter to the next was the equivalent of being caught up in a hailstorm of bullets. It was such a riveting experience from Jin's perspective as he immensely looked forward to turn his dreams into stone cold reality. With a constant sneer beautifully painted on his face, he answered each and every one of the questions with accurate precision, his eloquent voice explaining his ideas in detail. The members of the press were instantly hypnotised, hanging onto his every word while scribbling notes down in a small pad every so often.

"Mr Kazama? Mr Kazama!" a female American news reporter yelled loudly, waving her arms in the hopes to gain the attention of the man.

From her position of standing on the right hand side of Jin, Nina immediately noticed the woman calling his name. She leant over to Jin, whispering something into his ear while the younger man listened attentively. With an understanding nod, he silenced the screams and shouts with the raise of a hand of unmistakeable authority.

He pointed directly to the American reporter, "And your inquiry is, Miss?"

"I'm Nicola Edision of _USA Today. _Mr Kazama, can you possibly give us a personal opinion of where your plans stand in regards to the near future? In other words, how do you intend to fit them in with current worldwide affairs?"

Upon hearing that, Jin chuckled, relaxing his weight on the stand therefore bringing his mouth more closer to the microphone provided.

"Your question has sparked my interest, Miss Edison," he commented. "It's very simple more or less. The world as we know it is coming to an abrupt end, and it will be all thanks to me. I will formulate realistic solutions to the the tiresome demands that constrain society today. With the new-found power and responsibility that comes with my being a CEO, I shall reach out to major nations over the globe. Hopefully I can exchange ideas with each country's representatives so that we can work together in improving living and social conditions. Mark my words – if someone were to oppose me, I vow to destroy them."

However, that had been six long months ago when that event transpired. It didn't take that long for people to realise that Jin was going back on his solemn words, mercilessly fooling the weak-minded by putting on a cleverly constructed façade. Undeniably he had the skills of a talented actor, armed with the silver tongue of a corrupted politician. Now, the world was in such a dire situation, and it was no better off than the previous state. Jin had ruthlessly taken over near enough all the governments, including the United Nations. International warfare soon erupted as one of the tragic consequences, filling every individual's life with unspeakable turmoil and anguish. Everything was crumbling under the tyrannical hand of that bastard.

The more Steve Fox was surrounded by the blasted news, the deeper he wallowed in his despaired state of depression.

Sure enough, he acknowledged the world was far from perfect. He wasn't striving for a sense of untainted perfection because that is just the stuff that daydreams were made out of. What he truly wanted was every little thing that was part of his life was returned back to normal, something that he once recognised and loved with every fibre of his being. The British could only dream of the day when he can eventually put on his trusty old boxing gloves, participating in many important matches while adding more titles and awards to his growing collection. Fighting was the main passion that influenced Steve's life. And with his livelihood savagely ripped from him, the proud gleam disappeared from his eyes.

After learning that he can no longer fight again, Steve soon found himself to be dismally unemployed. As far as he was concerned, he had no valid reason in getting out of bed in the mornings, so he would often spend his days cooped up inside with absolutely nothing to do. What's the point in being happy when the world was full of misery and agonising conflict?Most of the time he would often be frustrated by his lack of motivation. Hell, Steve has always been an outgoing and social person ever since his teenage years. Deep down he knew that he somehow had to break the habit of glancing at the the hands of the clock to see the passing of time otherwise he'd go crazy or something like that.

That was why he accepted the invitation to attend the King of the Iron Fist Tournament 6 without a second thought. Just a chance in proving his untouchable prowess that he worked on throughout his life would suffice for the time being. Clenching his fist tightly he made a promise to himself - he will soon reclaim his position at the top again. This will be the start of his new destiny. No, more like his new legacy.

The past few days had flashed before his eyes in a quick flash. Just as soon as he arrived in Japan where the tournament was held, two legendary American contestants approached him. The famous duo, Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law, made a proposition to the British. Their plan was for to allow Steve join them in a trio so their chances in winning the tournament money will increase. If one of them were to reach the finals therefore being crowned as the champion, they will divide the money equally. In seeing that the Americans were genuine in their intentions, Steve accepted their offer much to their sheer delight.

In his preparation of his upcoming fight against one of the newcomers, Miguel Caballero Rojo, Steve religiously hit the gym on a daily basis. It was doing him the world of good to familiarise himself with training again. Just by walking into the entrance of the gym was enough to bring back memories of the past two tournaments he fought in, forging new friendships with fellow fighters as well as facing different opponents in each stage. Slowly but surely his undying passion started to surge throughout his veins, boosting his self esteem to a new level. Finally, the blank hole in his soul was complete once more.

Currently Steve was sitting down on a bench in a park. It was only a few streets away from the hotel he was residing in. One of the procedures stated that during the tournament all participants were to stay in individual rooms until when they are ultimately knocked out of the contest. His upper lip curled in disgust as soon as he read the front page headline of a newspaper. _Jin Kazama claims that he will annihilate Kazuya Mishima along with the rest of G Cooperation! _Not bothering to even read the damn article, Steve threw the offending item in the nearest rubbish bin, emitting a low growl of annoyance.

"What difference will it make if they blow themselves into oblivion?" he murmured to himself, feeling his muscles tense up slightly. "They're both bloody evil as one another..."

As soon as he was lost in pessimistic thoughts, he didn't notice Ling Xiaoyu coming his way. Upon laying eyes on her friend, the corners of her mouth lifted up in a big grin. The last time they seen one another was a week ago when she greeted Steve with a bone crunching embrace as soon as he first entered the hotel's lobby. The eighteen year old Chinese girl was over the moon that they were reunited after a long time. Xiao made it her top most priority to keep in contact with her close friends since the ending of each tournament. All the time she would send countless of emails or send them little gifts in the post to show how much she missed them. No matter where her friends may be scattered around the world, she would bring contentment to them, her joyous laughter echoing in the winds.

Xiao sneaked up behind where Steve was, and playfully covered his eyes with her hands. "Guess who, Stevie?"

Steve laughed as soon as he recognised that girlish voice. She really can be such a teasing little minx at times.

"Why, it's Xiaoyu of course!"

Giggling softly, the said girl took her hands away, placing them at her sides. Her feet almost in a bouncing movement travelled to his ears which was soon followed by the quick glimpse of the raven strands of one of her pigtails from the corner of his eye. Turning towards her the moment she sat down alongside him, he chastely kissed her cheek in a way of greeting.

"So, how are you doing and all?" he asked cheerfully. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh, I'm not too bad – thanks for asking!" she exclaimed, swinging her legs back and forth while admiring the beautiful cloudless sky. "Not so long ago I went to the mall and I had a look around the shops there. It was so awesome! I found a really cute panda plushie along with all sorts of animal related stuff."

"I bet your eyes widened with excitement when you saw those, Xiao. Speaking of which, is Panda okay? I thought you were spending time with her."

"Yeah, she's fine. She's just taking a nap in our room. I fed her some bamboo before I left the hotel and Miharu keeps on checking up on her as well."

"That's good to hear. I'd be sure to be there and cheer for Panda when she's up against Kuma. This Wednesday, right?"

"Uh-huh," Xiao sang slightly, her voice raising in mild excitement. Just as she was about to harp on about Panda not being too keen on Kuma in the first place, a frown laced her child-like features. Instead of showing enthusiasm as he normally did, Steve seemed to withdrawn and distant. Silence enshrouded them as he kept on staring absent-mindedly into the distance, not breaking his focus even for a mere second. Gently the wind ruffled his blond hair, making it sway and dance to an invisible melody.

_Hmm, I wonder what's wrong with Steve. It's not like him to act like this. _Chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully, she slid further down the bench so that there was only a slight distance between her and the boxer. She quietly cleared her throat before speaking again, laying a comforting hand on his knee.

"Uh, is something troubling you? If there is, then I'd be more than happy to listen to whatever is on your mind."

"Xiao."

"Huh? What are you-?"

Instantly she broke off when he turned fully towards her. Xiao froze on the spot as he pinned her with such an intense gaze, his ocean blue eyes filled with a sudden seriousness mixed with an unexplained sadness.

"What is the whole point in the existence of war in the world?" he demanded softly.

"Well...my grandfather always has said something about war keeping the population down," she explained, trying to disguise the shock in her tone. What has come over him to have actually asked that question? "I mean, if the world was overpopulated then I guess there will be lack of resources like land, food, water and other things like that. That would be a disaster because it will mean the end of human beings."

"I suppose you're right when you come to think about it," Steve agreed, nodding. "It's just that I have realised Jin's war against the world has gone way too far. Like others, he has taken my reason for my existence. Fighting is the only thing I'm good at."

"But Steve, at least he's hosting this tournament. Why else would he do this if he didn't care about us?"

A dry laugh escaped his lips. "Ha, since when does he value human life? He's doing a good job already without receiving any reinforcements."

Bittersweet tears formed in Xiao's eyes, threatening to spill from their vulnerable ducts. Why does the truth have to hurt this much? All her entire fears came true before her very own eyes within a short period of time. Jin, the man she once knew and loved, somehow undergone a sinister transformation. Not knowing what to do, she stood by and witnessed him transcend into utter darkness. She couldn't disagree with what Steve pointed out because she too often wondered about Jin's motives for organising the tournament. There had to be a reason why and she was determined to get to the heart of the issue.

"D-do you mean to say he wants to destroy his enemies by fighting them in the contest?"

In response, Steve hesitated for a moment. To say the least he didn't expect Xiao to say something like that. Xiao patiently waited while he was trying to think of how to reply to that. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her emotions – he would never forgive himself if that did happen.

"Do you want me to elude further to the fantasy or state things bluntly?"

"I'd rather you be honest with me," she informed. "If I want to be viewed as a grown up then I should accept the facts."

The man just simply arched his eyebrow at her. For that moment, Steve shown nothing but respect for her sincerity. It would seem that there is more to Xiao that meets the eye. Underneath that bubbly and happy-go-lucky exterior lurked a flourishing girl who was willing to seek justice under circumstances. If only she revealed this side to her, she will be taken more seriously rather than being treated like a little child all the time.

"Very well, if you insist," he remarked, sending her a small smile. It wasn't before long did he turn serious again. "My opinion is that Jin wants to lure those who oppose him out of their hiding place so he can meet their challenges head-on. He is using this tournament as bait in a way. And let's face it – he isn't kidding about getting rid of them. With them out of the picture no one will be able to stop Jin."

"I must admit that Jin has changed drastically for the worse. Whenever I try to go and see him at his office most days I find it very hard to bypass the security there. Nina or Eddy is telling me to keep away all the time because Jin doesn't want to see me anymore."

"You have my deepest apologies, love. No one should be treated that way."

"It's really killing me from the inside, Steve. I cry myself to sleep near enough every night because I care about him. I fear for his safety and well being. I fear for everyone as their lives are in danger. Those poor innocent people..."

Discreetly picking up on Xiao's distress, Steve sighed heavily and pulled her into the warmth of his arms. For a long time they stayed like that, not breaking the quietness looming over their heads. No words were needed whatsoever as they both sought comfort from one another. It was the only thing that reminded them of their humanity in the chaotic word around them. Xiao pressed her face further into the broad expanse of Steve's chest while he murmured words that didn't make sense, planting kisses on the top of her head.

"The world has suffered enough as it is without Jin's harsh regime choking us to death," Steve whispered.

"I know." She pulled back a bit, only to still remain in his grasp, but to get a better look at him. "That's why I know something has taken over Jin to cause him to behave this way. I know it may sound stupid, but I don't think we are dealing with the same person any longer."

"And how are you going to change him? Xiao, you're going to get yourself killed if you do anything to anger him. Trying to save him would be suicide."

"Okay, so planning to build a time machine to go back in time and fix the Mishima's problems was stupid," she admitted. God, how pathetically naïve she must have been to approach the scientist to give her some assistance during the last tournament. She inwardly shuddered at her past stupidity, trying to push the mocking thoughts to the back of her mind.

"However, I have a different idea that might work," she added while Steve looked at her with curiosity. "Do you know Lars Alexandersson?"

"I've heard that he's the captain of the Tekken force," Steve commented. "I haven't had the pleasure to see him in combat though."

"Anyway, I have enlisted the help of Lars. It turns out that he's sick and tired of all the fighting and the hatred. The other day during our meeting he confided in me, saying he is often haunted by the ghosts of the innocent people he had killed on behalf of Jin's orders."

"Hmm. I can understand that," Steve said. Sadly, he shook his head as he recalled his best friend. "Hwoarang felt the same when he was drafted in the Korean army two years ago. He had some awful experiences and ever since then his only wish is to not fire a gun at anyone."

"How long do you think this war will last, Steve?"

"God only knows, love. God only knows."

**A/N: **At first I was going to include Julia in this oneshot however I changed my mind therefore I used Xiao instead. The reason for this is I wanted to add more depth to her character by her having a mixture of child-like qualities along with a growing sense of maturity. I'd say Steve and Xiao represent two concepts in their stance in what Jin is doing to the world. Steve is the voice of reason because the war has cost him his career and he's slightly cynical. On the other hand, Xiao is the voice of hope due to the fact she believes she can still save Jin however she know it will be an arduous task so she needs all the help she can get.


End file.
